A team of engineers from Northwestern University have redesigned the lithium-ion battery -- the chunky energy cell found in the majority of modern gadgets -- so that it can charge ten times faster than current batteries, and last ten times longer.

Chemical engineer and lead author of the research Harold Kung claims that his battery could charge your phone in just 15 minutes and go on to last for a week. "Even after 150 charges," he says, "the battery is still five times more effective than lithium-ion batteries on the market today."